


Baby, Baby

by anthroxagorus



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Fluff and Angst, Hurt and comfort, M/M, Oneshot, family is complication, snarry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-16
Updated: 2020-03-16
Packaged: 2021-03-01 01:15:13
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,717
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23176798
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/anthroxagorus/pseuds/anthroxagorus
Summary: Harry Potter really, really doesn't want to help Dudley out with his whole daughter being magical thing, but he'll be damned if anything happens to her that happened to him. HPSS
Relationships: Dudley Dursley/Original Female Character(s), Harry Potter/Severus Snape, Hermione Granger/Ron Weasley
Comments: 27
Kudos: 358





	Baby, Baby

“Wait!”

The couple stopped in the middle of the train station, approached by a strange man. The children, use to unfamiliar faces, shifted from the right foot to left, anxious to see the Hogwarts Express and not at all interested in the strangers that approached their parents.

The man took a breath, now that he'd caught up. The couple scanned this person, a man that was portly with thinning blond hair, and tried to rack their brains if was a stranger or friend. “Sorry,” the man said once he could breath. “Look, er, I'm trying to get a hold of Harry Potter?”

Ron Weasley's brow furrowed. Judging Hermione's expression, she didn't recognize the large man either.“What do you need to talk to Harry for?” he asked, taking his daughter's hand. And why didn't this guy just _write_ him like anyone else? Not that there was a big chance of Harry reading it

To Ron's surprise, relief flooded through the man, his face relaxed

“Hang on, any chance you're his cousin?” the woman at his arm asked. Apparently this woman had a whole entourage with her, her child at her skirts, another pushing luggage. Ron had no idea how his wife put that together, but he squinted at the man and thought he kind of looked like Harry's uncle, but Ron had only seen him tumbling from Harry's window once years ago.

He looked nervous then, or maybe it was because Ron was scowling at him now. “I, er, I haven't got an owl and I have no idea how to get a hold of him, but, I...” the man fished for an envelope and handed it over, feeling slightly silly. He couldn't remember the last letter he'd written, now that everything had gone to computers and text messages.

The redheaded man glanced at his watch quickly. Dudley noticed the hands of the clock were spinning rapidly. “You lot go ahead, I'll catch up.”

The woman kissed his cheek and led their children through the crowd.

“I'm going to level with you,” Ron said, pausing to scratch his nose. “It was my family that busted him out of your parents' house and tried to get him to stay on hols. He hated being there, but he never really told us what went on. Harry's always been a good friend to me and I don't know if this is going to mess with his head. So why do you want to talk to him?”

“If you could get this letter to him, you can let him judge whether he wants to write back.” Some of his father's authoritative tone came though. “Please.”

“All right,” the other man demurred, glancing once again at his watch. “You have my word, but I can't promise he's going to write back.” Ron watched the man drop his shoulders and relax.

“Thanks, man.”

So all they had to do was wait. Dudley dove for a cigarette, his last bad habit, and watched the man pass through the crowd and through _a brick wall_. As far as he could tell, no one else was paying attention. He then turned and left before anyone got onto him about smoking in a public spot.

* * *

Little Teddy got on his knees and hugged Rose, their small daughter. Ron squeezed his wife's shoulder and watched the children bound off. Hermione cast her husband curious glances at him; Ron did his best to convey with his eyebrows he'd tell her later. He nodded at the Bell family, traded small talk about the school's Quidditch teams, while she caught up with the Scamanders.

Ron scooped up his little girl and they took a detour to Hogsmeade to visit his brother while they were out. Plus, it always cheered up George to see the kids.

Ron explained what little he learned in his conversation with Harry's cousin and showed her the letter. “Do you think we should read it first?”

She pursed her lips in thought. “Harry probably wouldn't like that,” she relented. “But Snape, on the other hand...”

Ron made a face. It was beyond him why Hary and Snape were such good friends, but Harry was constantly visiting Snape and trying to invite him at any get-together. If Harry was cooking, Snape was there. If Harry was going into town, three guesses who was accompanying him. And if Ron said anything about it, Harry got huffy and told him everything was different after the war and all that.

However, Snape did seem to care about Harry. Ron had gathered that his best friend was in some kind of funk for awhile after the war and, somehow, it was Snape – the greasy git - that helped Harry through it. Meanwhile, Hermione had been in school then, and then graduate school and Ron was balancing their relationship with helping George take care of the store. Neither of them had the time to drop everything and attend to their friend's moods. These days Harry was way more stable, with no small thanks to their former Potions teacher.

But it still didn't mean he was thrilled about having lunch with him that day.

* * *

Harry tensed up. Snape remembered that look on his face; it was a look of pure anxiety. It came the class after Harry had seen his memories, it came on when his name was called from the Goblet of Fire, the night he thought Sirius had been captured and Umbridge was holding them up. In preparation for what else the Weasley boy was going to announce, Snape set aside his own tea.

“You _saw_ him?” Harry asked. Was he shaking?

“Said he didn't know how else to reach you.” Ron piped up. “Lucky he knew to look for a ginger.”

“We were going to, uh, read it before we brought it over,” Hermione said weakly.

Rose stared at all of them with her large, brown eyes, at the adults around her, and then casually levitated her juice cup and dropped it to the ground with a mischievous grin. She was going to be a handful until she got her playmate back.

“It's fine,” Harry said quickly.

Snape reached for it to which Harry handed it over and watched him tear it deftly and scanned over it, leaning back in the chair. He then dropped the letter.

“Well... your aunt and uncle are in good health,” Snape said finally. “Did you know your cousin married?”

Harry shook his head and made a quiet, negative sound.

“He also has a little girl.” He paused. “And he's pretty sure she's got magic in the blood.”

Harry pointedly refused to touch the letter. Ron and Hermione exchanged looks. Outburst from their daughter, they could handle. But Harry's as well? It was too much.

“Where is she?” Harry then asked.

Snape shot him a surprised look. “At home, one presumes.” Harry relaxed “He's just not sure how to handle it if she (here, referred to the letter) 'sprouts a pig's tail or starts reading minds.' It appears he's making a joke.”

“Oh,” he said hoarsely. “I guess my uncle doesn't know about this either.”

“He doesn't. Does that put her in danger if he does?”

Harry hesitated then finally read the letter himself. “No, she'll probably be all right. I think. He reached out to me, so I think it's going to be alright. Is there a way to suppress magic in children?”

Ron frowned. “Suppress it? It's _harmless_ magic, you don't want to stunt the kid.”

“I'll write him back tonight,” Harry broke in, setting the letter aside. “I'm way ready to eat.”

Snape watched the young man, he was always watching him but now so much more privy to his thoughts, his emotional state. So he watched Harry chew without tasting, drink without savoring, and pick at his dessert. He followed him to a sitting room with Rose so that she could show them her new Weasley find, an upgraded pgymy puff. With Rose, Harry could find a smile. He watched them both pass the pgymy back and forth. Harry took so much joy with kids, Snape wondered if he considered having his own.

Perhaps hearing his thoughts, Harry glanced at him finally, and (with a quick look at the kitchen) covered the other's hand. “I'm not going off,” he said softly. “I'll be okay.”

“You will,” he affirmed. Snape trained an eye on the kitchen and squeezed that hand. “Do you think he's going to hurt you?”

Harry shook his head, looked away. “I just don't want to forgive him.” He softened. “Can we go home?”

Home. Every time Harry said that, his heart warmed.

“Soon,” he promised.

* * *

They had been engaged for a year now – not without spats. It had been easier to pretend at first they hadn't fallen for one another, pragmatic to leave the rest of the world out of it. With the war past and Voldemort gone, the Daily Prophet had finally stopped harassing him, the public had grown tired of him, and Harry found he had a lot more freedom than ever before.

Snape traced the other man's arm, attentive (and nearly anal) about displaying his affection. He was maddeningly patient to let Harry be the first to speak. The man had an infinite well of love and care that in the past had driven his lovers mad. They thought he was “clingy,” so Snape, among other reasons, closed himself down and became unfeeling and cold. Harry had been at Hogwarts castle, helping with the repairs effort when he became overwhelmed at the sight of the Great Hall. It surprised them both when Snape had embraced Harry and stroked his hair until he stopped crying. They talked then as people moved around them. They talked after that point, first tentatively friends, and slowly acknowledged that “something more” between them.

Years later, Harry couldn't get enough of the attention he received from the other. He turned over to face him and sighed. “Should I go?” he muttered.

“Not without me,” Snape replied.

Harry felt something inside of him relax. “Gods, I'm lucky to have you,” he said, then kissing him. In turn, Snape pulled their bodies close and Harry sank into the moment between them.

* * *

“It's obvious he loves him, they care about one another.” She shrugged. “Harry wanted a father, and Snape's never had a son.” She shrugged, shifting the child to her other shoulder. “Neither of them have family left.”

“Harry has us,” Ron said weakly. “He has Mum and Dad.”

“Oh, you know, Harry's always felt guilty about the way his relationship with Ginny ended.”

Ron kissed their daughter in his wife's arms. “I always hoped he'd become my brother. I mean, you know, he is, but he.. isn't.”

“He's part of the family,” she said. “He's Rose's godfather at the very least.”

“He needs a girlfriend,” Ron then said, now a whisper. They tucked their daughter into her bed, staying close until her eyes fluttered close. “Do you think he and Ginny...?”

“Shh,” said Hermione. “Isn't she wonderful?”

She was, Ron silently agreed, and they watched over her just a little longer, knowing she was growing up so fast and these moments wouldn't last forever.

* * *

Harry squinted at the address at the letter and wished he wasn't currently standing by the mailbox of his cousin. He wished the place was too impossible to find, that his cousin wasn't home, or that he could fast forward past all of this and then just crawl back into bed.

“Let's get this over with,” Snape said and led him to the door. From the outside Harry knew it was a nice home, with its nice gardens, in its nice neighborhood. It was so fucking ideal. Men that grew up bullying people, being shit at school, never seemed to get their comeuppance. Harry sacrificed himself for the Wizarding world and had panic attacks about every week about even leaving his own home.

“You made it!” Harry came back to, and he stared dully at his cousin.

Now Dudley was big, but he smiled genuinely, and looked healthy. Happy. He came purposefully forward and then swayed near him, unsure of how to greet Harry. Harry was determined to make this as awkward as possible, neither opening his arms for a hug or offering a handshake.

“Er, come in,” Dudley finally said, stepping aside for them to pass.

“This is a good, er... friend of mine, Severus Snape,” Harry said finally. “He knows more about this stuff then I do.”

“We're glad to have you,” reported what could only be his wife. She was a beautiful, blonde woman. They said women glowed when they were with child, but this woman had an infectious smile to begin with. How had Dudley ended up with someone like that?

“Tea? Coffee?” she asked while Dudley disappeared into another room.

“No thanks,” Harry said, examining the living room they were in. It was brighter then the way his aunt and uncle had decorated. Although toys and papers were scattered around, it was oddly warm and inviting. Harry checked Snape's expression and then shrugged.

“We can't thank you enough for coming, both of you!” his wife said again. Of the group, she seemed to be the only one of that knew what to say. “I understand it was difficult for you to come here.”

Harry really didn't want to like her, but he found himself softening his glare. “It was good that you reached out to me. A lot of muggles don't take kindly to magic.”

Harry was surprised by the knowing, sympathetic look she gave him. Dudley must have told her, at least in part, about their childhood together.

His cousin then returned, daughter in arms and brought her close to Harry and Snape. Harry stared at into the baby blue eyed, blonde-ringlet almost doll, heard a gurgle of laughter and fell for her at once. She stretched her arms out to them and found himself holding her. She bumped Harry's chest, and then giggled at the faces Snape made to her, and Harry's heart melted entirely.

“She's perfect,” Harry acknowledged to his cousin, who was actually tearing up over the whole display. Harry quickly looked away. “What's her name?”

“Abigail,” he replied. “After Katie's grandmother.”

“Hey Abby,” Harry said, and checked again for Snape's expression. Gods, he looked good with a smile.

“So, er...”

“Come,” Katie said. “Sit.”

Neither parent reached for their daughter, so Harry continued to hold her, taking her to the playmat before a set of couches and settling on the floor. Harry bumped a teddy bear to Abby's nose, but she was instead far more interested in his necklace, tugging it from under his shirt and into view.

“Oh!” said Dudley. “Is that an engagement ring?”

It was, but Harry removed it from the child's grasp and caught her attention with the teddy bear so he could tuck it safely back. .

“What has she done specifically?” Harry said, ignoring his cousin's question. “Magic-wise.”

“She has something like, I don't know, telepathy, is it? She can levitate objects like she can bring her toys into her crib or make her unicorn 'fly' next to her. She's also been known to make the water stop running when she doesn't want bath time – which is all the time. Uh...” Dudley turned to his wife.

“She made one of her dolls life-size. That was a shock. Made bubbles appear out of nowhere at the park...” On and on, went the list, interjected by the occasional squeal from Abby.

“That's all normal,” Snape spoke up. “I've heard of children even disapparating or levitating themselves, all generally harmless bursts of magic.”

“Right, I, uh, I did some things too...” Harry said, “Before I, uh, knew.”

“The haircut thing?” Dudley asked.

“Yeah,” Harry said.“The snake thing, too.”

Harry thought he might be annoyed, but instead he looked amused.

“From your letter, you asked about surpressing Abby's magic,” Snape said. “It's not customary for wizards to suppress the child's powers. It's a natural part of their development, and it's, honestly, rare for a child to be born to non-magical partners. What was your mother's maiden name?”

“Abbott."

“Do you know Hannah Abbott?” Harry asked.

“I think she's a distant cousin, I'm not so sure,” Katie replied. “You think it might run in my bloodline?”

“I wouldn't be surprised,” Snape said. “Especially with Harry's mother's and wherever that magic might've manifested, she might be receiving it from both of you.”

“So... you don't have like an amulet or a spell?” Dudley asked, hope wavering.

“I don't... It's not impossible to make a spell, but I confess it's difficult and extremely risky. I hesitate casting strong spells on children, especially with the potential of long-lasting ill effects.” Again, Snape took up all the questions, while Harry continued to entertain Abby. He wasn't lying when he said he didn't know _anything_ about this kind of thing, besides what he saw with Ron and Hermione. “There are some protections Harry and I could cast here, if you like, to prevent any damage you cannot reverse.”

“That would be wonderful,” Katie replied, though Harry registered the disappointment on their faces. “Will that protect her when she's outside, though?”

“I'm afraid not. I can add protection to your vehicle, but not from the rest of the world.”

“There's so much we don't know about this kind of thing,” his cousin said, their hopes of a magical fix now totally dashed. “ I mean, how do we explain to our friends? Our neighbors? Our families?”

“Oh, you know, just lock her in a cupboard until Hogwarts sends her a letter,” Harry said, relishing the awkward silence it brought on.

“Harry...” Dudley began.

“Like he said,” Harry said, “we'll do what we can, but what you tell people is up to you.”

“There is a matter of secrecy in the magical community, so you must exercise caution on who you reveal these matters to. I've heard of some muggles blaming poltergeists for otherwise unexplainable magic their children do. It seems to work well enough.”

“To tell the truth, we thought it might be ghosts ourselves,” Katie said, smiling at her own foolishness.

“So she will be going to that school you went to?” Dudley asked.

“It's likely she'll be invited,” Snape said. “If not, I can pull some strings. It would be in her best interest to attend and learn how to control and use her magic,but it remains your decision.”

The questions then turned to Hogwarts, the curriculum (and whether she should attend muggle school) and then about the magical community itself. Harry tuned them out, focused on the child tirelessly showing her toys and constructing some game that involved a lot of smashing toys together. When she levitated a horse, Harry levitated another, and watched her delight as their smashing game took to the air.

* * *

Some time later – Harry had no idea how much – Snape set a glass of water near Harry and sat by him. Abby turned her attention to her new playmate and shoved a plush zebra into his face. He accepted it, and paused long enough to give Harry a one-armed, much needed hug, before he started bouncing the zebra along a path to Abby's own plushie. Harry leaned into the other's shoulder, too drained to care what his cousin or his wife might think. They had moved into the kitchen, probably discussing the fate of their daughter.

“Are you ready to start the wards?”

More than ready. The sooner they were done, the sooner they could go back home.

Snape helped him up. Harry stretched out his wand hand and tried to think where best to start, what spells to lay down first. They'd already obtained a permit from the Ministry (at Snape's suggestion) so anything was fair game. They'd already had planned and practiced a few wards, but Snape had suggested a couple others. Harry moved through the living room, through the kitchen, up the stairs and so forth, crossing Snape once. Harry passed portraits of his cousin's family, seeing his aunt and uncle in wedding photos, group photos, and then the plethora of baby photos. They laid down protection for the walls, softened surfaces (should she levitate herself and drop at a height), and so forth. Once finished, Harry sank onto the couch and watched his lover checking their work. Dudley sat a careful distance and Harry didn't have the energy to leave.

“She makes me a good person,” Dudley said finally.

“Excuse me?”

“My wife. Katie. She makes me a good person. She calls me out on my shit, makes me want to be a better man.”

“Great.”

“Look, I just wanted to say it to your face: I'm sorry about the way I treated you, I'm sorry Mum and Dad were real assholes to you, I know it's stupid to think you'll forgive me, but I'm trying to be a better person and I'm glad you're here, okay?”

Harry pinched the bridge of his nose. “I'm not here for you,” he said. “I'm here because I don't want your dad to do to an innocent child the things he did to me.”

Dudley shifted uncomfortably. “I know he didn't treat you right.”

“Dudley, he starved me. He beat me. He put me in a closet my whole life. You don't do that to kids.”

Harry watched him now grow pale. “I didn't really know what happened,” he said very quietly.

Harry's mouth twitched upward. “You saw it. You saw what they did to me.” Was he yelling? He didn't know, his heart was beating very fast now, but he knew he didn't need to scare Abby. “You ignored all of it.”

“You don't think people can change, Harry?” Dudley asked. “I was a real piece of shit kid, I was dirt, I would've been like that if I hadn't have met my wife. She fixed me. I know I'm screwed up, but I know I'm going to be a good parent to my daughter and I'm going to love her no matter what happens.”

Harry stared at his cousin, at the total sincerity on his face. “And what if your dad finds out about her magic?”

“My father will have to decide whether he wants to be part of my family,” Dudley said. “I love him, I really do, but this is my family right here. You know? Screw them if they can't see how perfect Abby is.”

Harry didn't have a comment here, so Dudley kept talking.

“It's hard to think she's going to have a life I know nothing about, that I can't relate with her about. She'll go to school and I won't be able to help her with any of her homework or know what she's talking about. And she might grow up and marry a wizard and I'll never see her again. Or she'll live with the – what's the word you used, muggles? - yeah, muggles, and have to hide who she is. I know it's not going to be a easy life for her.”

“One of my best friends comes from a muggle family. She was top of her class, brightest witch there. She got married to my mate – you saw them at King's Cross.”

“Yeah, them.”

“It'll work out,” Harry said, begrudgingly offering words of comfort.

“Yeah, I guess so,” he said. And then. “I think, maybe, in a way, my daughter being magic was a way for us to reconnect. I mean, I wanted to reach out to you before, I just didn't know how. You know?”

“Never knew you were this sentimental,” Harry muttered.

“You're family,” Dudley said, as that explained everything. “And you know what?”

Harry didn't respond with 'what.'

“I'm going to say it. It wouldn't bother me if you were gay.”

“What a relief.”

“I'm being serious.”

“Why are you bringing that up?

“That guy's your fiancé, right? The ring? And the way he looks at you? Come on, it's pretty obvious.”

Harry didn't respond.

“Why didn't you just tell me?”

Snape had moved into the kitchen, his task complete, and assisted Dudley's wife by entertaining Abby, Harry watched his lover and caught Dudley watching him, smiling like an idiot. Okay, the whole thing was obvious.

“I mean, I don't know a lot, but I do know about love,” Dudley continued.

Harry rolled his eyes. “We're engaged, been engaged.” He said outloud. “But we haven't told anyone.”

“Why not? He seems like a great guy!”

The assessment surprised Harry into talking. “They wouldn't understand.” But then words were coming out of his mouth once he got started. “I mean, it's more complicated then it looks. Yeah, we're both men, yeah, he's way older than me, he use to be my teacher and use to be in love with my mother _and_ use to work for the guy that killed my mom and dad.” Harry paused. “Use to hate my guts.”

Harry enjoyed the puzzled look on his cousin's face, his commitment to reserving judgment for the sake of rebuilding their relationship.

“But he's always been there for me. I mean, literally, saved my life a few times, even when I was too stubborn to realize it.”

“He use to work for Voldorf?”

“Voldemort. Yeah.”

“Has he... killed anyone?”

What Snape had done as a Death Eater had always been a grey area, but the idea of scaring Dudley a bit was hard to resist. Plus it was technically true.

“Mm.” Then added a bit cheekily. “But technically, so have I.”

Harry watched his cousin try very hard to hide his shock.

“And the sex is great,” Harry added, which was also true.

Dudley fixed his gaze at the ceiling and said evenly. “He really loves you. I mean, you know that, but I know a lot of people getting married because they don't want to be alone. What you have is special.”

Harry squashed his irritation. Of course Snape loved him, and of course it was a grand, beautiful thing they had. And Dudley was ruining it by being so damn agreeable about it! But... it did feel good that someone knew about them and actually approved. It felt... really good.

“We'll have to tell people eventually,” Harry said, “But it's going to be a total shit-show. The papers are going to lose their minds, and I don't know how a lot of my friends are going to take it, but it's going to be harder on him. Sev's already been through a lot of shit. It's just, yeah, it's going to be a lot.”

“Well, for what it's worth, you've got me,” Dudley said. “You can hide here if you want.”

Harry pointed his wand at the ceiling, and made it mirror the stars outside. It was a spell he did often when he was overwhelmed and he didn't really think twice before performing it. “Might have to,” he said, while Dudley couldn't hide the awe in his expression. They stared up at the ceiling, now with nothing more to say to each other.

“Wow,” Harry heard Katie say behind them.

“Show-off,” said Snape, smiling down at him.

“You know you love me,” Harry murmured. “Home?”

“Home.”

Harry left the spell active on the ceiling at Dudley's request. Katie gave Harry an awkward hug with Abby in hand, to which he returned, then waving enthusiastically until Abby returned it. Snape repeated the gesture and it made Harry feel strange, but happy, to see Snape accepted into this awkward family, as rocky as its dynamic was.

Harry turned then to Dudley and felt the anger in him had mostly dissipated. Harry fished a coin from his pocket and gave it to his cousin, telling him how all he'd need to do is rub it and Harry could help him out with any “Abby emergency.” The men stood before each other, and then shook hands, that became a quick, but firm hug.

Harry then took Snape's hands in his, no longer afraid to show their relationship and disapparated to their home, feeling lighter and more hopeful now than he'd been in a long time. He'd faced one of his biggest fears. He'd defeated Voldemort. And now, he was going to come out to his friends.

**Author's Note:**

> Wow, you got to the bottom of this page! Thank you for coming this far! This dumb story idea came to me in 2014, can you believe it took this long to finish? Don't give up on your stories, folks. Please leave a comment and let me know what you thought! And if Snarry is your jam, check out my other stories. (If not, wow thanks for coming this far!)


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